How was your steering? Would now be a good time to consider fitting some castor correction wedges?

Sorry Ray, castor correction wedges?
what are these and what do they do? (And where do they go).
"How was my steering?"Now I'm back on the road again the steering feels much the same as it did before. it's OK , maybe a bit heavy. I assume they are all like that.

How was your steering? Would now be a good time to consider fitting some castor correction wedges?

Sorry Ray, castor correction wedges?
what are these and what do they do? (And where do they go).
"How was my steering?"Now I'm back on the road again the steering feels much the same as it did before. it's OK , maybe a bit heavy. I assume they are all like that.

Hi Mike. Positive castor is established when an imaginary line projected through the centre of the king pin meets the road ahead of the tyre contact point. Negative caster is when the line meets the road behind the tyre contact point. The castor 'angle' is the amount the king pin leans backwards or forwards from the vertical.

I am assuming your car has positive castor which will give your steering a self centring action and avoid wandering.

Originally, the castor angle of the front axle would have been set for the roads of the time which in the 1920s were generally quite steeply cambered; ie., they had a more pronounced crown than we have today. By fitting thin wedges between the axle and the springs you can alter the castor angle to better reflect the camber of modern roads. You could possibly have too much or too little castor angle and this will determine which side of the axle the wedges go.

If you can get the castor angle right, it can improve the steering but it is always going to be a compromise. The greater the castor angle the more the self centring effect but probably at the expense of heavier slow speed manoeuvring. However, it might well be worth experimenting with different set ups. Different size wedges are commercially available from Moss and others.

If you didn't find any wedges between the axle and the leaf springs, it may be that your car never had any to begin with. You may take the view "if it ain't broke...."

Castor Angle – Wedges
Over the years there has often been discussion about castor wedges and which is the correct way to install them.

Castor is achieved when a projected line drawn though the centre of the king pin, touches the road ahead of the tyre contact point and provides a self-centring action (think of the castors on a supermarket trolley).
The castor angle is simply the angle that the king pin leans backwards from the vertical to enable the projected line to be ahead of the centre of the tyre contact point. The greater the castor angle the more the self-centring effect (but also the harder it is to turn the steering wheel at low parking speeds), so Morris designed the steering geometry to achieve a balance between straight line stability and ease of low speed manoeuvering.
In my Workshop Manual for Morris 8’s I originally had the wedges installed with the thick edge to the rear but later I was “talked into” believing the wedges should have been installed with the thick edge to the front and duly alerted people that the manual was incorrect and subsequent prints indicated the wedges should be fitted with the thick edge to the front. I have now found out that the CORRECT way for Morris 8’s 1935, Ser I and II (and pre ser 10’s) should have the thick edge to the rear.
Positioning the wedge with the thick edge to the rear increases castor and fitting the wedges with the thick edge to the front reduces castor, by rotating the axle.
You may wonder why castor has to be reduced. Manufacturer’s design of the geometry of the front end may result in too much castor and make the steering very heavy. The Morris 8 Ser E and Morris 10 Ser M are two such vehicles that have the thick edge of the wedge to the front. There is even a kit available for MG B to add wedges with the thick edge to the front to make the steering lighter and easier to turn corners by reducing the castor. So not all wedges are fitted the same way.

Castor Angle – Wedges
Over the years there has often been discussion about castor wedges and which is the correct way to install them.

Clearly what matters is to achieve the degree of castor that you find comfortable. Having driven a car with no castor action it can be most unpleasant, wandering anywhere except where you want it and requiring physical action to return the wheels to straight ahead on exiting a corner. I would always er on the side of too much castor rather than too little.